Between Heaven and Earth

Between Heaven and Earth (Hebrew: בין שמיים לארץ) is a Jerusalem-based cultural non-profit association (amuta) and dance brand that bridges the world of contemporary dance with Jewish and Israeli cultural renewal. The organization brings together dancers, musicians, visual artists, poets, producers, rabbis, and educators to create a new narrative within Israeli discourse, challenging conventional boundaries between sectors of Israeli society. Its activities began in 2006 under the umbrella of the Choreographers Association and it was established as an independent continuing association in 2015. The association is located in Jerusalem and operates primarily in the fields of dance, visual art, and music. The organization's flagship initiatives include the annual Between Heaven and Earth Dance Festival, a home for original contemporary culture productions, the Ka'et Ensemble (אנסמבל כעת) — a dance company for religious men, the interdisciplinary visual art project, and the Kol Atzmotai Tomarna (כל עצמותי תאמרנה) dance school for men. The festival, described as an authentic Jerusalem brand, connects modern contemporary dance with Jewish and Israeli renewal, creating connections between tradition and modernity, Judaism and Israeliness, and Israeliness and internationalism. It hosts artists from Israel and abroad and takes place in Jerusalem cultural centers. The association was founded by Adina Shapira, Shlomo Wilk, and Jean-Marc Liling, with choreographer Ronen Yitzhaki as founder and artistic director. Since November 2021, Nir Weinblum has served as CEO, and from 2022 Hanan Anando Mars and Eyal Ogen were appointed to manage the association. The organization operates from a cultural center in Jerusalem that also houses three cultural bodies, supported by the Jerusalem Municipality and Eden Company. Between Heaven and Earth creates contemporary culture, primarily dance but also visual art and music, working to connect worlds: new and ancient, sacred and everyday, body and spirit. It is a way of life and an additional voice of Jewish renewal within the unique and multicultural Jerusalem experience, merging worlds and combining combinations. The organization invites participants to the inter-sector meeting arena, to challenge accepted sectoral boundaries, and to be partners in new connections of a new Israeli reality.

Between Heaven and Earth (Hebrew: בין שמיים לארץ) is a cultural non-profit association based in Jerusalem that connects the world of Jewish content with contemporary culture. Its activities began in 2006 within the framework of the Choreographers Association and later split into a continuing association that was founded in 2015. The association is located in Jerusalem and its main activities are in the fields of dance, visual art, and music. The founders of the association are Adina Shapira, Shlomo Wilk, and Jean-Marc Liling; the founder and artistic director is choreographer Ronen Yitzhaki. Since November 2021, Nir Weinblum has served as CEO of the association, and from 2022 Hanan Anando Mars and Eyal Ogen were appointed to manage the association. The association's activities include the annual Between Heaven and Earth Dance Festival, a home for original productions of contemporary culture, the Ka'et Ensemble (a dance company for men), an interdisciplinary visual art project, and the Kol Atzmotai Tomarna dance school for men. The festival is described as an authentic Jerusalem brand, connecting modern contemporary dance with Jewish and Israeli renewal, creating connections between tradition and modernity, Judaism and Israeliness, and Israeliness and internationalism. It hosts artists from Israel and abroad and takes place in Jerusalem cultural centers. The Kol Atzmotai Tomarna school, founded in 2007, is the first institution in Israel for movement and dance studies for men only. It offers a curriculum in movement and dance, including a bachelor's degree and teaching certificate. Studies include Gaga, modern dance, classical ballet, and dance theater. After a three-year joint study journey, graduates of the first cohort founded the Ka'et Ensemble, seeking to create contemporary dance that explores identities as religious, as men, and as Israelis. The ensemble was managed for 12 years by Ronen Yitzhaki, who currently heads the Movement Department at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance; it is now managed by Eyal Ogen and Hanan Mars. In 2010, the ensemble's first work, 'Road No. 1', premiered and has toured in Israel and abroad (including Madrid, London, Berlin, and Singapore). In 2016, the ensemble was recognized as a professional dance company and is funded by the Ministry of Culture. The ensemble creates and researches in Jerusalem, giving expression to the city's multiculturalism and its national and religious history, and aims to bring the religious public into the professional dance world. The association operates from a cultural center in Jerusalem that also houses three cultural bodies, supported by the Jerusalem Municipality and Eden Company. The center serves as a new home for three cultural bodies, offering diverse cultural activity for the Jerusalem audience. The organization creates contemporary culture, primarily dance but also visual art and music, working to connect worlds: new and ancient, sacred and everyday, body and spirit. It is a way of life and an additional voice of Jewish renewal within the unique and multicultural Jerusalem experience.

• 2022

  Hanan Anando Mars and Eyal Ogen are appointed to manage the association.

• 2021

  Nir Weinblum is appointed CEO (November 2021).

• 2016

  Ka'et Ensemble is recognized as a professional dance company funded by the Ministry of Culture.

• 2015

  The association is established as an independent continuing non-profit.

• 2010

  Ka'et Ensemble's first work, 'Road No. 1', premieres and tours internationally.

• 2007

  Kol Atzmotai Tomarna dance school for men is founded.

• 2006

  Activities begin within the framework of the Choreographers Association.

A Jerusalem cultural brand bridging contemporary dance with Jewish and Israeli renewal, challenging sectoral boundaries and creating a new narrative in Israeli discourse.

• Between Heaven and Earth Annual Dance Festival

  Annual dance and movement festival in Jerusalem connecting contemporary dance with Jewish renewal.

• Ka'et Ensemble (אנסמבל כעת)

  Modern dance company of religious men, founded by graduates of the Kol Atzmotai Tomarna school.

• Kol Atzmotai Tomarna Dance School for Men (כל עצמותי תאמרנה)

  First institution in Israel for movement and dance studies for men only, founded in 2007.

• Interdisciplinary Visual Art Project

  Annual exhibition and art event connecting contemporary art with Jewish content.

1. 1בין שמיים לארץ - Between Heaven and Earth | Jerusalemdocdance.com
2. 2מי אנחנו | בין שמיים לארץdocdance.com
3. 3פסטיבל בין שמיים לארץ | אודותdocdance.com
4. 4אנסמבל כעת | אודותdocdance.com
5. 5בין שמיים לארץhe.wikipedia.org
6. 6Wikidatawikidata.org